Love that pistol. My two Smith Revolvers.Geez, I thought I was the only one that felt this way. Have plenty of the ugly guns, but love shooting my M&Ps more.
My wife has no interest in shooting as a hobby, nor does she do well with "complexities" that she has to remember to do as with an auto. She also has not much upper body or hand strength and limp wrists most 9mms of mine she has shot. Under stress, it's gonna be point and shoot. My first carry pistol that I was issued 42 years ago fits the bill and she not only likes it, but can handle/shoot it pretty well. I'd say we are way ahead of the game with this choice for her.
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One thing to bear in mind if choosing a used G19 is the Gen 3s, 4s, and 5s are in high demand right now due to Glock's change to the V/Gen 6. If bargain hunting for a solid mid size auto, you can get good deals on the M&P 2.0s, Caniks, and even the RXM.
Wife considering Smith & Wesson SD40
- Thread starter ensoniqman
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Why do you say that?
Tends not to over penetrate.
What @shortyb said.
Yeah. Our state issued duty gun was the M66 with Pachmyr Presentation grips. I liked mine. But when you leave you turn it in...I did keep the box and paperwork though.
A Taurus Model 65 is a good choice. It's chambered for .357 Mag./.38 Special +P.
It's a six round capacity revolver with a 4" barrel. It will have a good balance. The .38 Special round would be good for indoor defense.
There is the Taurus Judge that will shoot either .45 Colt or .410 shotgun shells.
There is the Charter Arms Bulldog in .44 Special.
It's a six round capacity revolver with a 4" barrel. It will have a good balance. The .38 Special round would be good for indoor defense.
There is the Taurus Judge that will shoot either .45 Colt or .410 shotgun shells.
There is the Charter Arms Bulldog in .44 Special.
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Heavier, slower projectiles are more likely to overpenetrate.
I have a Taurus M65. It's a solid revolver.
Not when they encounter drywall, studs, doors and other stuff homes are made of. Check out anything from Evan Marshall, Ed Sanow, and Brian Litz if you want some real good info on handgun caliber performance.
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So, are we talking over penetration of the target? Use hollow points.
Over penetration of drywall? Well, in that case, smaller, lighter bullets, in general, penetrate fewer layers and 5.56 goes through fewer layers of drywall than .45 ACP ball ammo.
Over penetration of studs and doors? Not really a thing. Brick, cinder block, studs, etc. really slow bullets down.
I think what everyone is really concerned about, but nobody is saying, is “what about the shots that miss“?
First, don’t miss.
Second, if you are able, choose your field of fire more carefully. E.G. If I’m at the top of the stairs, and at the bottom of the stairs is my front door, any missed shots I take towards the threat that came through the door are going into the dirt outside the house. Over penetration is not a problem.
Third, choosing a round that is less likely to penetrate drywall makes sense, but big heavy bullets penetrate drywall really well and ball rounds are worse than hollow point. So, light, fast hollow points should be your choice if you are worried about drywall.
Unless your wife is very familiar with guns or is committed to regular practice , I would suggest a Double Action Only revolver chambered in .38 Special . Keep it simple ..Just my opinion .
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Lighter and faster is less likely to overpenetrate wall material (re-stating context for those not reading full thread). Look at actual real world test results, not people’s opinions.
This was exactly my situation. I did just what you stated. You definitely got to take yourself out of the thinking and imagine her by herself , middle of the night, scared and confused. How will she handle it. Look I’m all for the Auto pistol. You need to train with them. Some anyway. But for my wife she’s why revolvers are still on the market. It just simple. Wardawg.
Beretta 80x Cheetah 380 or 32
Ruger Security 380
Springfield Hellcat 380acp
Ruger Max 380
Sig P365-380
Subsonic is easier to handle indoors too.
It's not just about subsonic vs supersonic. First, there is absolutely no need for supersonic ammo in SD short range scenarios. Say, a 124-147gn bullet in 9mm round should do very well, hit hard and have lower over penetration. Hollow point for sure. You may face a law suite if you don't use HP ammo for SD.
I'd suggest to try different ammo and pick one that not only is 100% reliable in shooting but also one with easier manageable recoil allowing to get back on target fast for follow up shots and one with low or very low flash too. A person awaken at 3am will be blinded by their own first shot if flash is a size of a basketball, on top of being dazzled by loud bang. If possible, do a training session or two in low light setting with real shooting.
If SD while in house is a real concern then do some dry runs. Stash extra loaded mags in strategic places around house too; it helps if all potentially in use guns use same mags and ammo.
Overpenetration is very real, a bullet can hit and kill a person in next house after going thru and out your house wall and into next house thru their wall. It's mostly dependent on bullet's energy, a slower heavier bullet may have about same energy as faster and lighter one. Hunters will tell you same thing.
One thing is for sure - get advise or/and take classes from a reputable CCW or SD outfit/instructor in your area who also DOES cover legal scenarios of aftermath.
I'd suggest to try different ammo and pick one that not only is 100% reliable in shooting but also one with easier manageable recoil allowing to get back on target fast for follow up shots and one with low or very low flash too. A person awaken at 3am will be blinded by their own first shot if flash is a size of a basketball, on top of being dazzled by loud bang. If possible, do a training session or two in low light setting with real shooting.
If SD while in house is a real concern then do some dry runs. Stash extra loaded mags in strategic places around house too; it helps if all potentially in use guns use same mags and ammo.
Overpenetration is very real, a bullet can hit and kill a person in next house after going thru and out your house wall and into next house thru their wall. It's mostly dependent on bullet's energy, a slower heavier bullet may have about same energy as faster and lighter one. Hunters will tell you same thing.
One thing is for sure - get advise or/and take classes from a reputable CCW or SD outfit/instructor in your area who also DOES cover legal scenarios of aftermath.
MolaKule
Staff member
Unless she is a large framed person with strong hands, I would recommend the Ruger Security .380.
I have both the 40 but the Ruger .380 is my daily carry gun. It is easy to carry and to hide. In the furniture.
Well, tell that to the guy who succumbed to a 115gr 9mm bullet wound that traveled through 2 walls, and the wooden headboard of a bed, from an adjacent apartment. Or the one who collected a 62gr bonded tip .223 round in his ribcage after it traveled through both sides of the singlewide next door and into his. But I digress. Incidentally, those three authors that I listed back up their opinions with real world testing and are considered experts in the field of ballistic performance. The first 2 were also LEOs and have probably seen their fair share of "real world test results".
Not going to continue on with this as we can be here for years picking this topic apart. However, as @dubber09 states, what's beyond your target, and whether your ammunition can reach past that and cause damage is a major concern. And another aspect that most don't take into account, the legal ramifications if it does. This is why one should choose wisely based on the environment it's intended to be used in. And of course, as @Astro14 so succinctly put it, DON'T MISS. That increases the chances of causing unintended damage exponentially. So that involves training. And training the way you would if placed in that defensive situation to achieve a positive outcome.
I think the horse that is getting a beating is long dead. OP got a lot of great options to mull over. I think he will take all of the advice here into consideration and make a wise choice.
In fairness, two walls (two layers of drywall, two layers of sheathing, perhaps a bit of fiberglass) isn’t going to stop anything, particularly a rifle round of any kind. Regular walls are concealment.
Not cover.
Even a 9mm hollow point will go through at least ten layers of drywall.
Look, if a projectile will penetrate a human enough to be effective - it’s going to penetrate walls, too.
Not cover.
Even a 9mm hollow point will go through at least ten layers of drywall.
Look, if a projectile will penetrate a human enough to be effective - it’s going to penetrate walls, too.
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